# Ian Nelson (actor, born 1995)
**Ian Nelson** (full name Ian Michael Nelson) is an American actor, producer, and musician born in 1995 in [Winston-Salem, North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/winston-salem-north-carolina), known for his screen debut in *The Hunger Games* (2012), his recurring role as young Derek Hale on MTV's *Teen Wolf*, and his lead role in *There's... Johnny!*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4122775/) • [2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about) • [3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1995, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; full name Ian Michael Nelson[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4122775/) • [4](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ian-nelson/credits/3030674455/) |
| Screen debut | Featured role in *The Hunger Games* (Lionsgate, 2012, directed by Gary Ross)[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about) |
| Breakthrough television | Recurring guest star as young Derek Hale on *Teen Wolf* (MTV, 2013–2014)[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson) |
| Lead role | Series regular in *There's... Johnny!* (2017), a comedy about the staff of *The Tonight Show* in the early 1970s[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ian_nelson_4) |
| Notable film leads | *Medeas* (2013), *The Boy Next Door* (2015), *Like Me* (2017), *Paper Spiders* (2020)[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson) |
| Video game | Lead role in *Need for Speed: Unbound* (Electronic Arts, 2022)[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson) |
| Award | Best Ensemble Cast, *Paper Spiders*, Boston Film Festival[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson) |
## Early life and training
Nelson grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and began performing as a child as an actor, singer, and dancer[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about). On his parents' encouragement he took dance, singing, and acting lessons as a boy, which led to appearances as a performer in NBC's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in 2009, 2010, and 2011, as a singer and dancer[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ian_nelson_4) • [3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson). By his late teens he had turned toward film and television acting and began auditioning[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ian_nelson_4).
His youth theater credits include Amahl in *Amahl and the Night Visitors* with Piedmont Opera, Archie in *13* and Baby John in *West Side Story* at Stagedoor Manor, and roles at the French Woods Festival of the Arts, where he won a Stagedoor Manor award as Outstanding Achievement by a Leading Actor in a Musical for *13*[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson). His later training includes study with Howard Fine at the Howard Fine Acting Studio and drama at the UNC School of the Arts[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson).
## Screen career
**Film.** Nelson's first on-screen role was a featured part in the blockbuster *The Hunger Games* (2012)[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about) • [3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson). He then starred in Andrea Pallaoro's independent film *Medeas* (2013), which premiered at the [Venice Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/venice-film-festival)[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about). In 2014 he played [Vincent D'Onofrio](https://www.edgepedia.org/vincent-donofrio)'s son in David Dobkin's *The Judge* for Warner Bros., opposite [Robert Downey Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-downey-jr) and Robert Duvall, followed by a supporting role in Relativity's *The Best of Me* with James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about). He took the lead as Kevin Peterson in Universal/Blumhouse's 2015 thriller *The Boy Next Door*, opposite Jennifer Lopez[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about).
Later film work includes lead roles in Robert Mockler's *Like Me* (2017), which premiered at SXSW opposite [Addison Timlin](https://www.edgepedia.org/addison-timlin), and [Trudie Styler](https://www.edgepedia.org/trudie-styler)'s *Freak Show* (2017) with [Bette Midler](https://www.edgepedia.org/bette-midler), which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival and was distributed by IFC[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about). He played Seth in Joseph Cross's *Summer Night* (2019)[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson) and the role of Daniel in Inon Shampanier's *Paper Spiders*[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about); on Rotten Tomatoes *Paper Spiders* is his highest-rated film at 100 percent[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ian_nelson_4). More recent credits include a lead in *Camp* (2023, Tubi) and roles in *After* (2024) and *It Was English* (2024)[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson).
**Television.** After *Teen Wolf*, Nelson appeared as a guest star on CBS's *Criminal Minds* (2014), TNT's *Legends* (2015), IFC's *Comedy Bang! Bang!* (2015), and NBC's *Law & Order: SVU* (2017), and played Parker in a lead role across seven episodes of Fullscreen's *The Deleted* (2016)[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about) • [3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson). In 2017 he became a series regular on *There's... Johnny!*, a 1970s-set comedy about the young staff behind the scenes of [Johnny Carson](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnny-carson)'s *Tonight Show*, which premiered on the Seeso network in late 2017[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ian_nelson_4). He also starred in the Hulu pilot *Less Than Zero*[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about).
His voice and motion work extends to video games: he played a lead role in [Electronic Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/electronic-arts)' *Need for Speed: Unbound* (2022)[3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson).
## Behind the camera and music
Nelson wrote, produced, and directed his first short film, *Picture Window*, and is credited as producer on it[2](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4122775/). He began making music in 2020, and since then has directed, produced, and edited four music videos and three commercials, including a music video for Oscar-nominated actress [Abigail Breslin](https://www.edgepedia.org/abigail-breslin)[6](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/iannelsonproduction). He released the single "Elouise" in 2021, which he celebrated with a headline show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, and he is credited as artist and lead in the associated music video[7](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-off-with-scotty-ian-nelson-from-an/id1579333735?i=1000537633016) • [3](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson).
## References
1. [Ian Nelson, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4122775/)
2. [About, Ian Nelson official site](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/about)
3. [Ian Nelson resume, Actors Access](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/iannelson)
4. [Ian Nelson credits, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ian-nelson/credits/3030674455/)
5. [Ian Nelson Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ian_nelson_4)
6. [Ian Nelson Production](https://www.iannelsonofficial.com/iannelsonproduction)
7. [Take Off With Scotty, Ep. 7: Ian Nelson, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-off-with-scotty-ian-nelson-from-an/id1579333735?i=1000537633016)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Mo to Ne*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license